Play Better Golf – Warm-Up!

I’m sad to say that golf season is coming to an end. The PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup is finished, local courses are offering fall discounts, and you can feel the Canadian winter beginning to set in as temperatures fall overnight. But it’s not over just yet, and like me, I’d wager you’re looking for at least one last chance to score that elusive albatross before the year is out.

How can you best go about this, and why are you hearing it from me? Cool-weather golf, like that in the spring and fall seasons, leaves us more likely to feel stiff, tight, and inflexible at the tee — not exactly ideal for golf! Stretching could address these feelings, but when was the last time you saw a golfer really warm-up for their round? And no, sprinting to the first tee does not count.

Stay with me for five minutes, and we’ll review a study published in 2009 that shows how a simple, easy, dynamic warm-up can make direct improvements to your golf game. We’ve already discussed dynamic vs static stretching as it relates to performance, but for golf specifically I have recommended this to others, tried it myself, and noted improvements in my own game! Try it — because really, who’s watching at time of year? This is your time to experiment!

The Study – Warm-Ups and Golf

This is the kind of study people (golfers) dream of being included for. Participants were made comfortable in their surroundings by having them hit golf balls for 20 minutes on their first two days. Over the next three sessions, each golfer either performed no stretching, static stretching, or dynamic stretching, with a final fourth session involving either static or dynamic stretching, and hit even more golf balls.

Here is the protocol for testing the different stretch groups:

Walk 5 minutes at casual pace (~2.5 km/h)

Practice swings for 3 minutes, slowly building up to 80% maximum effort during the 3rd minute

More consistent contact — Central impact point(striking the ball closer to the centre of the club-head) was more consistent with dynamic stretching than with static stretching.

Lasting Changes — Time of measurement, the amount of time past the actual stretching (up to 30 minutes in this case), did not impact the results seen. Which means the effects lasted throughout all testing.

What Does This Mean?

Dynamic stretching, as part of a general warm-up (brief walking, easy swinging, dynamic stretching) creates distinct improvements in swing speed, swing-path, and how close to the centre of the club you strike the ball, relative to no stretching at all or static stretching activities. These changes last at least 30 minutes after your warm-up — so well after you get off the first tee!

What Exactly Do I Have to Do?

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Try these! They are fairly simple movements. Aim to move your body as far as possible, but only within a controlled motion — so no bouncing at the end! Start slowly (first time through), and get faster as you go.

In this particular study, they completed each of these stretches 10 times in a row, moved to the next stretch, and then repeated the entire list three times. (Again, try it! It doesn’t take as long as you think it might!)

Summary:

Few golfers complete a warm-up before their rounds, and those who do commonly use static stretching. As evidenced by this study, a warm-up of dynamic stretching can improve overall golf performance (club-head speed, ball speed, swing-path, and central contact) significantly as compared to static stretching or no stretching.

Golf is hard enough on its own — don’t let any chance for improvement sneak away!

Need advice about how to do these? Other ways to improve your game? How chiropractic can support golfing? Dr. Gilliard is a chiropractor in Burlington, ON — contact him at your convenience via email at drjimgilliard@gmail.com, by phone at (905) 634-6000, or book an appointment at Endorphins Health and Wellness Centre.